Whispering Cherry Blossoms
-Prologue-
It was becoming a bad habit for him to keep returning to the spot that made him think of Susan Pevensie...his heart longed to see her again. She had the fierceness of a true warrior and the skills of a huntsman that had been learning for years. She was not your ordinary queen.
The kiss had been observed by his future townspeople of Telmar and Aslan, the great lion who had helped them along the way of recovering the long lost Narnians. The cherry blossoms whispered her name as well as his own and were lifted into figures of people, swirling around the young king as if they were trying to reveal a hidden message from her. Wherever she seemed to be hiding.
"Caspian..." The cherry blossom petals whispered, dancing in circles around the king and his thick boned Fresian stallion that had accompanied him to the private orchard that no one else seemed to have found but himself. "It couldn't have worked out...I'm nearly 1300 years older." Her last words floated through his mind as though an enemy had taken hold of his kingdom and was torturing him, only the feeling was much worse.
"Susan." The swift archaist's name escaped his chapped lips and he sighed, in complete denial of the fact that at times, although difficult, Caspian had to face that the High Queen might not return to see him live his reign. If only he had seen the spark of ignition in his own eyes as they caught sight of his sword that was covered by the leather sheath at his side. He lifted his head with pride before mournfully turning away from the petal figure that always seemed to create Susan, he walked out of the orchard and swiftly hopped aboard his mount before riding back to Telmar.
Back where he belonged.
He returned days later as the sun set, just having enough time to himself. The same things were happening all over again, but it soothed the mind of the young king. A swift young girl had made him think of the possibilities of introducing her to High King Peter if they ever returned in time. She was nothing more, but a mere friend who seemed to read his every move.
"Caspian." The words soothed the troubled king and he sighed in content, releasing the reins of the horse he had brought this time. A nearly black horse with brown eyes that seemed to haunt him.
"I am here, my queen." He said aloud, his brown eyes were glowing amber at the simple thought of her. Her windblown, silky brown hair and the way her blue eyes shown, either with defiance or a secret love that Caspian always returned.
The harsh, protecting words of Peter made Caspian all the more determined as well as noble when it came to fighting for what was rightfully his and in this case, Susan was.
The cherry blossom petals were floating towards his face, Caspian brightened. Did this mean wherever Susan was, she was thinking about him? He pursed his lips and the petals blew right through him, making Caspian sigh with defeat.
"Caspian..." Her voice floated through the wind and every time the young, fearless king heard. A spark of hope grew in his eyes and he felt as though life could go on forever when waiting for her. "Keep it, you might need to call me sometime." It was Caspian who had blown the horn and returned the Pevensies to Narnia after 1300 years in Narnian time, but a mere year from where they were from. Some called it stupid to call back for the two High Kings and two High Queens when they had abandoned Narnia, but others call it a wonderful accident. Caspian called it both.
Her bubbling laughter flicked the pink petals off of the ground and straight for Caspian's horse, startling her as it hit her nose. Caspian smiled and nodded, laughter was always a good thing. It reminded him vaguely of the youngest Pevensie, whose innocence could make anyone smile at the thought of Queen Lucy. Naive little Lucy, who had this certain feeling of Aslan guiding them. Edmund was a little on the reserved side, but he made a great fighter when the time came. Peter was the overprotective brother, never held back by his pride. Which led to a few conflicts on the way.
"Caspian."
The young king glanced at the setting sun, which was dragging into darkness and sadly smiled. Another day had come and gone.
"Caspian."
The remnants of the young archaist's feathery voice confused Caspian since there was nearly no sun for the petals to dance nor much more wind for them to float, yet her voice remained persistent.
"Caspian!" Her voice seemed closer than possible. Caspian's head darted around in confusion as he tried so hard to find the source of the voice that seemed to becoming a nightmare. "Caspian!" No, it couldn't be...could it?
"Susan?" Caspian's voice rose above the female companion he had longed to hear. "Please show yourself!" He begged aloud, his head following the same track as he continued his search.
"No need to fear, my king. For I am never gone long." Susan's voice lead him to his own saddle, where she sat, her expression sweetly amused by his frantic searching. She swung her leg over and jumped to the ground, bemused.
Caspian brightened, his face chiseled in the last moments of daylight as he jumped forward, capturing the girl in a tight hug. Pouncing on her like some sort of rare Telmar or Narnian delicacy. Susan's laugh soothed his now jumping nerves as he pulled mere inches away, taking in everything that he had long missed. "I thought you were never going to return."
"You hadn't called, so I was beginning to worry." Susan smiled brightly before reaching upwards and kissing the king with the fire that had disappeared from the setting sun. Caspian grinned sheepishly, the horn that had brought her to him in the first place was in his bedroom, just waiting to be blown to make a return. There was nothing he would rather do than blown the horn every moment that Susan hadn't been in Narnia with him. "King Caspian, it has a ring to it." She mused aloud, just enjoying the warmth he had to offer.
"How did you find me?" Although ecstatic, King Caspian had no idea who would have known about this place or where he was going constantly to clear his mind. There was nothing more he'd rather have than holding Susan after being apart.
"We went up to the --"
"We?" Caspian brightened, it was not only Susan he would be seeing, but her siblings. The foursome that had come to Narnia's rescue more than enough times for their own good. "You're all here?"
Susan laughed lightly, making Caspian catch his breath. "Yes." She nodded, her eyes bright with laughter. "You're friend told me that you were down here. I borrowed a horse and rode down here, tying my mount on the outside of the orchard so you wouldn't see my arrival."
"I have never been so pleased in my life," Caspian told the Queen, wishing he could never let go. "I'm glad you've come back."
"I'm glad we've come back." Susan agreed, then lowered her voice until it was a wistful murmur. "We're back in Narnia."